Latest news with #CUPE2073
National Post
4 days ago
- Business
- National Post
CUPE 2073 and OCEU/CUPE 1750 to Rally Outside MPP Chris Scott's Office
Article content SAULT STE. MARIE, Ontario — On Thursday, June 19, striking workers from Canadian Hearing Services (CUPE 2073) and the Workplace Safety and Insurance Board (OCEU/CUPE 1750) will join forces with the Sault Ste. Marie and District Labour Council for a solidarity rally outside MPP Chris Scott's office at 154 Great Northern Road in Sault Ste. Marie. Article content As the CHS strike enters its eighth week and the WSIB strike surpasses one month, workers, will call out the Ford government's ongoing political interference, which continues to block progress toward fair settlements. Article content 'These workers provide essential services to Ontarians every day, yet they've been forced to strike for weeks while this government sits on the sidelines and meddles in negotiations,' said Harry Goslin, President of OCEU/CUPE 1750. 'We're demanding the Ford government stop obstructing and let these strikes come to an end.' Article content 'The members of 2073 and 1750 have tried everything to get back to the table,' said Mara Waern, President of CUPE 2073. 'The fact that our employers won't bargain, won't consider our proposals, and in the case of Canadian Hearing Services, won't make a proposal of their own, shows a complete disregard for our members and the people that we serve.' Article content Key issues fueling both strikes include: Article content 12:00 p.m. to 1:00 p.m. Article content mb/cope491 Article content Article content Article content Article content Article content Contacts Article content For more information, please contact: Article content Article content Article content Article content
Business Wire
4 days ago
- Business
- Business Wire
CUPE 2073 and OCEU/CUPE 1750 to Rally Outside MPP Chris Scott's Office
SAULT STE. MARIE, Ontario--(BUSINESS WIRE)--On Thursday, June 19, striking workers from Canadian Hearing Services (CUPE 2073) and the Workplace Safety and Insurance Board (OCEU/CUPE 1750) will join forces with the Sault Ste. Marie and District Labour Council for a solidarity rally outside MPP Chris Scott's office at 154 Great Northern Road in Sault Ste. Marie. On Thursday, June 19, striking workers from Canadian Hearing Services (CUPE 2073) and the Workplace Safety and Insurance Board (OCEU/CUPE 1750) will join forces with the Sault Ste. Marie and District Labour Council for a solidarity rally... Share As the CHS strike enters its eighth week and the WSIB strike surpasses one month, workers, will call out the Ford government's ongoing political interference, which continues to block progress toward fair settlements. 'These workers provide essential services to Ontarians every day, yet they've been forced to strike for weeks while this government sits on the sidelines and meddles in negotiations,' said Harry Goslin, President of OCEU/CUPE 1750. 'We're demanding the Ford government stop obstructing and let these strikes come to an end.' 'The members of 2073 and 1750 have tried everything to get back to the table,' said Mara Waern, President of CUPE 2073. 'The fact that our employers won't bargain, won't consider our proposals, and in the case of Canadian Hearing Services, won't make a proposal of their own, shows a complete disregard for our members and the people that we serve.' Key issues fueling both strikes include: Severe understaffing and growing workloads Reduced in-person services and office closures Wage stagnation for frontline workers amid rising executive pay Political obstruction prolonging the strike crises An absentee board and management team that refuses to bargain A complete lack of urgency to resolve the strikes on the side of management Where: Outside MPP Chris Scott's Office – 154 Great Northern Road, Sault Ste. Marie When 12:00 p.m. to 1:00 p.m. mb/cope491
CTV News
4 days ago
- Health
- CTV News
Canadian Hearing Service workers have been on the picket line for eight weeks
It's been eight weeks since 200 Canadian Hearing Service workers walked off the job, workers across the province who support people in the deaf community. It's been eight weeks since Canadian Hearing Service workers walked off the job. Roughly 200 employees represented by CUPE 2073 across the province who support people in the deaf community have been on the picket lines since the end of April. That includes counsellors, audiologists and interpreters. Hearing strike Roughly 200 employees represented by CUPE 2073 across the province who support people in the deaf community have been on the picket lines since the end of April. That includes counsellors, audiologists and interpreters. (Lyndsay Aelick/CTV News) 'It's heartbreaking. We don't want to be out here. But here we are,' said Tammy Dubreuil, general support counsellor with Canadian Hearing Services. 'We thought we would be back to work by now -- and most of us are really looking forward to getting back to work. It's had a huge impact on staff. It's had an impact financially. It's had its ups and downs and, and we want to get back to serving our clients who, who I feel are going without service right now.' 'It's heartbreaking. We don't want to be out here. But here we are.' — Tammy Dubreuil, general support counsellor with Canadian Hearing Services Travis Morgan has been without an interpreter and therapy since the strike began in Sudbury. He said Canadian Hearing Services told him to reschedule a recent doctor's appointment, but he needed a refill of a medication right away. 'I had to go ahead without an interpreter,' Morgan said. 'The thing is you can hear me. I'm talking. I can read lips so I can manage it for a short period of time. I have that ability. Most people do not. So this strike is … seriously endangering the well-being of the deaf community.' He said the chances of finding an interpreter in the daytime are almost non-existent. 'We are isolated' 'We actually have to book with them directly and at $50-$60 an hour plus travel expense we can't afford it,' Morgan said. 'We are isolated completely.' However, Canadian Hearing Services said priority clients in all programs and services are being supported during the labour dispute. The company said CUPE 2073 hasn't shared a list of demands and they do not fully understand why they are on strike. The two sides last met May 21 at a bargaining session facilitated by a mediator appointed by the Ministry of Labour. The company said they were fully prepared to present a three-year agreement that included a 5 per cent compensation increase. But they said CUPE has demanded a 30 per cent increase — a figure that would severely impact their ability to deliver core services. In response, the union said the company has insisted that four 'unreasonable' demands be met -- including a media blackout -- before negotiations resumed. Since then, CHS has ignored repeated requests to get back to bargaining. For her part, Dubreuil said she has been with CHS for more than two decades and remembers a strike in 2017 when members were on the picket lines for 10 weeks. This time around, she said they have been supported not only by clients but by other local unions. 'It's really hard as a support person who has dedicated their lives,' Dubreuil said. 'All of my coworkers, if I could speak for them, when a person shows up asking for help and we're on a picket line and we can't provide that support -- we really just want to get back to work.' There are no current offers on the table and no bargaining dates have been set.
National Post
22-05-2025
- Business
- National Post
CUPE: Canadian Hearing Services Comes to the Table but Refuses to Bargain - Making Demands but Offering No Deal as Strike Enters Fourth Week
Article content TORONTO — In the first day at the negotiating table in more than two weeks between Canadian Hearing Services (CHS) and CUPE 2073, there were zero proposals exchanged, and no bargaining to speak of. Article content Article content CHS came without a plan move forward, instead bringing list of demands to members, including an end to the public campaign that's seen dozens of current and former CHS clients share heart-wrenching stories of being let down by the agency. Through a government-appointed mediator, CHS indicated that they would only consider workers' latest proposal – or bring their own offer forward – if workers agreed to one-sided conditions: a media blackout and publication ban, the withdrawal of the Unfair Labour Practice that is now before the Ontario Labour Relations Board, and an end to outreach to Accreditation Canada that is encouraging the accreditation body to review CHS' appalling labour relations history. Article content 'They didn't come to the table to find a deal, that much is completely clear. It's heartbreaking to workers, who are struggling to make ends meet, and to the Deaf, deafblind, and hard of hearing community who are watching this strike drag on without access to the services they need to live their lives with autonomy and dignity,' said Mara Waern, an employment consultant with more than 35 years' experience at CHS and President of CUPE 2073, representing 206 CHS workers. 'We have been so moved by the outpouring of support from current and former clients who have come to our picket lines and spoken with the media, sharing stories of what CHS used to be and can be once more. It's not just workers that CHS management is trampling on right now. It's the very people they are meant to support.' Article content Along with the powerful testimonials that Deaf and hard of hearing Ontarians have shared with the media and on social media, hundreds of people have sent letters to the CHS Board of Directors while leading Deaf, disability rights, and labour organizations have signed an open letter to Accreditation Canada. Article content CHS' demands for a media blackout come just weeks before their largest annual fundraiser, a golf scholarship tournament. The fundraiser is another sore spot that highlights the change in direction under Dumanian. What used to be a worker-friendly event that was staffed by Deaf workers was transformed in Dumanian's first year, becoming an exclusive event that brings in tens of thousands of dollars – while cutting out any meaningful participation or representation from the Deaf community. Article content 'Nothing about us without us. That's been the slogan of disability rights for decades. But where is the Deaf representation at CHS or at this tournament?' expressed Jennifer Lynch, a Deaf settlement services counsellor at CHS and member of the CUPE 2073 bargaining team. 'They want to silence workers. They want to ignore Deaf people. We will not let either happen. It's time for the Board of Directors to get involved to set this right. It's time for every MPP, every Deaf ally, every resident of Ontario who cares about access and justice to help CHS correct their course.' Article content CUPE 2073 members have been on strike since April 28. The two sides last met on May 6. There are no dates to meet again and CHS has revoked their proposals, so there is no offer for workers to consider. CUPE 2073 remains focused on securing a two-year deal with a five per cent total wage increase to secure stability for workers and the people they support. Article content Article content Article content Article content Article content
Business Wire
22-05-2025
- Business
- Business Wire
CUPE: Canadian Hearing Services Comes to the Table but Refuses to Bargain - Making Demands but Offering No Deal as Strike Enters Fourth Week
TORONTO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--In the first day at the negotiating table in more than two weeks between Canadian Hearing Services (CHS) and CUPE 2073, there were zero proposals exchanged, and no bargaining to speak of. CHS came without a plan move forward, instead bringing list of demands to members, including an end to the public campaign that's seen dozens of current and former CHS clients share heart-wrenching stories of being let down by the agency. Through a government-appointed mediator, CHS indicated that they would only consider workers' latest proposal - or bring their own offer forward - if workers agreed to one-sided conditions: a media blackout and publication ban, the withdrawal of the Unfair Labour Practice that is now before the Ontario Labour Relations Board, and an end to outreach to Accreditation Canada that is encouraging the accreditation body to review CHS' appalling labour relations history. 'They didn't come to the table to find a deal, that much is completely clear. It's heartbreaking to workers, who are struggling to make ends meet, and to the Deaf, deafblind, and hard of hearing community who are watching this strike drag on without access to the services they need to live their lives with autonomy and dignity,' said Mara Waern, an employment consultant with more than 35 years' experience at CHS and President of CUPE 2073, representing 206 CHS workers. 'We have been so moved by the outpouring of support from current and former clients who have come to our picket lines and spoken with the media, sharing stories of what CHS used to be and can be once more. It's not just workers that CHS management is trampling on right now. It's the very people they are meant to support.' Along with the powerful testimonials that Deaf and hard of hearing Ontarians have shared with the media and on social media, hundreds of people have sent letters to the CHS Board of Directors while leading Deaf, disability rights, and labour organizations have signed an open letter to Accreditation Canada. CHS' demands for a media blackout come just weeks before their largest annual fundraiser, a golf scholarship tournament. The fundraiser is another sore spot that highlights the change in direction under Dumanian. What used to be a worker-friendly event that was staffed by Deaf workers was transformed in Dumanian's first year, becoming an exclusive event that brings in tens of thousands of dollars - while cutting out any meaningful participation or representation from the Deaf community. 'Nothing about us without us. That's been the slogan of disability rights for decades. But where is the Deaf representation at CHS or at this tournament?' expressed Jennifer Lynch, a Deaf settlement services counsellor at CHS and member of the CUPE 2073 bargaining team. 'They want to silence workers. They want to ignore Deaf people. We will not let either happen. It's time for the Board of Directors to get involved to set this right. It's time for every MPP, every Deaf ally, every resident of Ontario who cares about access and justice to help CHS correct their course.' CUPE 2073 members have been on strike since April 28. The two sides last met on May 6. There are no dates to meet again and CHS has revoked their proposals, so there is no offer for workers to consider. CUPE 2073 remains focused on securing a two-year deal with a five per cent total wage increase to secure stability for workers and the people they support. :od/COPE491
